WARANGAL  SATURDAY  JANUARY 16, 2021  `7.00  PAGES 12  CITY EDITION ARMY CHIEF WARNS CHINA, PAK NOT TO TEST FORCES’ PATIENCE In a warning to China, Army Chief Gen M M Naravane said on Friday that no one should make the mistake of testing India’s patience GALWAN HEROES’ SACRIFICE WON’T GO WASTE 400 PAK TERRORISTS WAITING AT LOC The general said India is committed to resolving the eight-month-long military standoff with China through talks. In his address at the Army Day parade in Delhi, Gen Naravane said the sacrifice of the ‘Galwan heroes’ in eastern Ladakh in June last year will not go waste and that the Indian Army will not allow any harm to the country’s sovereignty and security ■ ■ Gen Naravane said Pakistan continues to shelter terrorists and 300-400 of them are waiting in training camps on the Pakistani side of the LoC to infiltrate into India For the first time, drone operations featured at the Army Day parade held in Delhi Cantonment on Friday | P7 200 MILITANTS KILLED IN COUNTER-TERROR OPERATIONS AND ON LoC LAST YEAR CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ WARANGAL ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI 100 frontline beneficiaries to get inoculated at each of the 3,006 centres across India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches programme at 10.30 am FIRST JAB TODAY AS MOTHER OF ALL VAX DRIVES BEGINS Wary of Covaxin, Tamil Nadu docs to insist on Covishield EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi INDIA will roll out the world’s biggest vaccination programme on Saturday by inoculating over three lakh healthcare workers against Covid-19, which brought the entire country and the world, , to a halt for much of last year. A total of 3,006 vaccination centres across all states and union territories will be virtually connected as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the drive at 10.30 am, with 100 beneficiaries getting the shots at each site on the first day . PM Modi said the country will enter a “decisive phase” in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday . Amid concerns over the efficacy of the indigenously developed Covaxin vaccine by Bharat Biotech, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday reiterated that both Covaxin and Covishield, manufactured by Punebased Serum Institute, have “proven safety and immunogenicity records”. These two vaccines will be the “most important tool” to control the pandemic, he added. “Tomorrow is an important day it is the ... last phase of the battle against coronavirus. This is probably the beginning of the end of Covid,” he said. The minister, however, cautioned that even after vaccination, people should not lower their guard and must follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. The immunisation drive will begin with healthcare workers, both in government and private sectors, getting the shots. While reviewing the preparation of the launch, Vardhan suggested that the CoWIN software be pre-populated with non-prioritised beneficiaries by seeding it with electoral database, in addition to other documents for registration. CoWIN, short for Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network, is an online platform meant to facilitate real-time information of vaccine stocks, storage temperature and individualised tracking of beneficiaries for Covid-19 vaccine. It will also assist programme managers track beneficiary coverage, beneficiary dropouts, sessions planned versus sessions held and vaccine utilisation. The minister also advised the administrative machinery to go all out to counter the misinformation campaign being spread by vested interests, said a statement by the ministry . S U M I S U K A N YA D U T TA @ New Delhi BENEFICIARIES NOT ALLOWED TO PICK JAB The circular advises that while all practising doctors should go for vaccination, they should “insist on Covishield till the Covaxin phase 3 results are out”. In Tamil Nadu, both vaccines have been stocked, but the Centre has disallowed beneficiaries from picking and choosing their jab While our circular is advisory in nature, we do feel that it is much better to go for a vaccine whose efficacy is well-proven N Ravishankar, TNGDA WHILE the Centre has given two Covid-19 vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, accelerated approvals and a level playing field though the latter is yet to prove its efficacy sections of doctors are wary as , , they are first in line to get the jab along with other healthcare workers. In fact, the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors’ Association (TNGDA), a group of 20,000 healthcare professionals, has circulated an internal advisory asking its members to “insist on Covishield” when they are called for immunisation. The circular advises that while all practising doctors should go for vaccination, they should “insist on Covishield till the Covaxin phase 3 results are out”. In Tamil Nadu, both vaccines have been stocked, but the Centre has disallowed beneficiaries from picking and choosing their jab. “While our circular is advisory in nature, we do feel that it is much better to go for a vaccine whose efficacy is well-proven through a large-scale clinical trial,” N Ravishankar, secretary of the TNGDA told this newspaper. The Drug Controller General of India has permitted restricted emergency use to Covishield, developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca, and Covaxin by Bharat Biotech. But the approval to Covaxin invited massive criticism as its phase 3 trial is yet to be over. The Centre, however, has procured 1.1 crore doses of Covishield and 55 lakh doses of Covaxin for the first phase of vaccination. While most states received only Covishield, 11 — Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, UP and TN — have been sent both. In many places, like in Delhi, Covaxin can be administered only in centrally-run institutions, a fact that is being resented by government doctors. Doctors at Delhi’s AIIMS and Safdarjung hospitals have also expressed unhappiness over the fact that they have received only Covaxin and that they may be forced to take the jabs in order to establish public trust. There’s no need to worry, vaccines are for human welfare, says Eatala D O N I TA J O S E @ Hyderabad DAY 1 PLAN THE D-Day has arrived. The State machinery is all geared up to join rest of the country for the final fight against Covid-19 by vaccinating people against it in phases from Saturday Sanitation workers . at hospitals would be receiving the vaccination from 10.30 am, marking the beginning of the battle with the Coronavirus. “We have taken all precautions, in accordance with the Health Ministry’s advisory. There is no need to worry To instil confidence . among people, I will be among those who would take the vaccine shot tomorrow,” Health Minister Eatala Rajender said. According to Director of Public Health Dr G Srinivasa Rao, every beneficiary who will take the Covid-19 vaccine will be marked with indelible ink on the thumb. He explained that the measure is being taken to avoid overlapping and 10.30 am PM Modi’s video interaction with Narsingi PHC and Gandhi Hospital staff 4,170 11.30 am Only Covishield vaccine by OxfordAsterazeneca to be administered on Day 1 2.30 pm Health Minister Eatala Rajender to visit Gandhi Hospital and tour other sites Inoculation to begin across the State The process to end in three hours Total beneficiaries targetted for inoculation on Day 1 139 Total sites (all public health facilities) confusion, and also to accurately vaccinate the person after the gap of four weeks. This is just one of the many steps being taken by the department to roll out the vaccine which is happening in a matter of 10 months since the pandemic hit In- 30 BENEFICIARIES AT EACH SITE Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan to visit NIMS hospital Beneficiaries to be marked with indelible ink on the thumb dia. “We want to roll out the vaccine in phases after Saturday’s inaugural,” Dr Srinivasa Rao said. “About 50 to 60 beneficiaries at a few hundred more sites will be administered the vaccine on Monday the Director of Public Health ,” CONTINUED ON P4 added. DIRECT FLIGHT Fly non-stop from mana Hyd to Windy City now E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Hyderabad NOW, those travelling to Chicago from Hyderabad don’t have to wait for connecting flights in alien countries. National carrier Air India’s maiden flight (AI 108) from Chicago landed in Hyderabad at 1 am on Friday with GMR Hyderabad International Airport officials welcoming the 237 passengers and 16 aircraft crew at the arrival lounge. Later in the day, the same aircraft — a Boeing 777LR (AI 107) took off from Hyderabad to Chicago with 226 passengers and 16 aircraft crew at around 12.50 pm amidst much fanfare and a celebratory note at the airport. Senior officials from GMR Hyderabad International Airport, along with those from Air India Air India’s first-ever non-stop flight from Chicago lands at GMR Hyderabad International Airport at 1 am on Friday and other airport stakeholders, were present at the terminal to see off the passengers and the flight crew. A warm welcome and reception was also given to arriving passengers, which included a cake cutting ceremony intermeshed with cultural events and photo opportunity with all sanitisation and social distancing protocols adhered to. The AI-107 flight from Hydera- bad to Chicago will operate every Friday departing from Hyderabad , at 1250 hrs (IST) and arriving in Chicago at 1805 hrs (CST/local US time) on the same day The AI-108 . flight from Chicago to Hyderabad will operate every Wednesday, leaving Chicago at 2130 hrs (CST/ local US Time) and arriving in Hyderabad at 0140 hrs (IST). The flight will cover 13,293 km in 16 hours and 45 minutes while flying from Hyderabad to Chicago and it will take 15 hours and 40 minutes to cover the distance in the return direction. Pradeep Panicker, CEO of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, said: “This new non-stop route connecting Hyderabad and Chicago has been on our connectivity wish list for quite some time.” EXPRESS READ ‘Capitol rioters were ready to kill’ Washington: US Federal prosecutors on Friday offered the most chilling description yet of Capitol rioters, that their intention was “to capture and assassinate elected officials”. The view was included in a memo seeking to keep Jacob Anthony Chansley, who rallied people inside the Capitol using a bullhorn, in detention | P9 Exports, imports grow in Dec 2020 New Delhi: Exports rose marginally to $27.15 bn in December 2020, while imports surged 7.5% to $42.59 billion. Exports were valued at $27.11 billion in December 2019 while imports totalled $39.59 billion. The trade deficit for December 2020 was estimated at $15.44 billion against $12.49 billion in Dec, 2019 | P10 US blacklists Xiaomi, 8 others The US government has blacklisted Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp and China’s third-largest national oil company for alleged military links. The Department of Defense added nine companies to its list of firms with military links, including Commercial Aircraft Corp of China | P10 Centre-farmer talks fail, next meet on 19 E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi / Chandigarh THE ninth round of talks between farmers’ unions and the Centre on Friday remained inconclusive but both sides agreed to meet again next Tuesday in a bid to break the deadlock over three contentious farm laws. “The government urged farmers to form an informal group among them- NIA raids selves to prepare concrete proposals to figure in be discussed in the next meeting,” Agri- talks culture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar Farmers raised said. However, the unions rejected the the issue of NIA suggestion. Harinder Singh Lakhowal, raids on general secretary of Bharatiya Kisan transporters Union, Punjab (Lakhowal group) said supporting the the Centre asked the union leaders to agitation, said discuss their problems with the farm Joginder Singh laws clause-wise. The farmers said no. Ugrahan, They also turned down the government’s president, BKU request to meet the panel formed by the (Ekta-Ugrahan) Supreme Court. The apex court had on January 12 stayed implementation of the laws and set up a panel to talk to both the striking farmers and the government. The farm unions have welcomed the stay but refused to meet the panel saying it’s pro-government. The next round of talks would be significant as the SC-appointed committee P7 will be present in the meeting.